Skip to content
Design Academy My progress

Template

User flow checklist

Check that a flow covers entry points, decisions, errors and exits, not only the happy path.

User flow checklist

Flow name: User goal: Start point(s): End point (success):

Coverage

  • Every way a user can enter the flow (link, notification, search, deep link)
  • The happy path from start to success
  • Every decision point, shown as a diamond with labelled branches
  • What happens when the user is signed out, new or returning
  • Error paths: invalid input, payment declined, network failure, timeout
  • Empty states: no results, nothing saved yet
  • Ways to go back, cancel or save and continue later
  • Confirmation and what happens next (email, receipt, status)
  • Hand-offs outside the product (phone call, in person, email)

Quality

  • Each step has one clear purpose
  • No step asks for information the product already has
  • The number of steps is justified; any step that could be removed is questioned
  • Labels in the flow use the user's words
  • Accessibility: every step can be completed with a keyboard and a screen reader

Notes and open questions

View the Markdown source
# User flow checklist

**Flow name:**
**User goal:**
**Start point(s):**
**End point (success):**

## Coverage
- [ ] Every way a user can enter the flow (link, notification, search, deep link)
- [ ] The happy path from start to success
- [ ] Every decision point, shown as a diamond with labelled branches
- [ ] What happens when the user is signed out, new or returning
- [ ] Error paths: invalid input, payment declined, network failure, timeout
- [ ] Empty states: no results, nothing saved yet
- [ ] Ways to go back, cancel or save and continue later
- [ ] Confirmation and what happens next (email, receipt, status)
- [ ] Hand-offs outside the product (phone call, in person, email)

## Quality
- [ ] Each step has one clear purpose
- [ ] No step asks for information the product already has
- [ ] The number of steps is justified; any step that could be removed is questioned
- [ ] Labels in the flow use the user's words
- [ ] Accessibility: every step can be completed with a keyboard and a screen reader

## Notes and open questions

All templates